(Source: International Brotherhood of Teamsters press release, August 8, 2018)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is opposed to OSHA’s attempt to repeal some of the requirements contained in its May 2016 final rule, “Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses.”

The July 30 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) eliminates the requirement to electronically submit information from OSHA Form 300 (Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses) and OSHA Form 301 (Injury and Illness Incident Report) for establishments with 250 or more employees that are currently required to maintain injury and illness records. This attempt is touted by OSHA as one aimed at protecting the privacy interests of employees.

The Teamsters Union has been actively engaged with OSHA, lending the union’s expertise on behalf of its 1.4 million members. During the rulemaking process, OSHA and the union discussed the importance of requiring large employers to make worker injury records publicly available.

We believe that the final rule achieved the goals of maintaining safety and health protections for workers and protecting their privacy. The new rule would significantly hamper the ability of workers and the public to access injury information. It would also enable bad actor companies with dangerous health and safety practices to more easily keep full workplace injury and illness data from public view. Companies with a history of workplace incidents and deaths, like XPO Logistics, would greatly benefit from a repeal of OSHA’s injury and illness tracking rule.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and “like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters.